Legal Process

Our new way of working

In partnership with our external lawyers, Geldards LLP, we have implemented a new way of working with lawyers acting for our new connection customers, which we have called our Collaborative Partnership Protocol. It outlines a series of practical steps that our customers and their lawyers can take if they wish to avoid delays in securing connections to our network. 

To learn more about our new protocol click here.
 

Legal Process - Standards of Performance

We measure and publish details about our performance in respect of the legal permissions and consents process relating to new connections at two stages:

  1. When a matter is with us to contact landowners, local authorities etc and progress negotiations, i.e. before we have instructed our lawyers. For a copy of the latest report please click here. 
  2. When terms have been agreed with landowners or our customers for the purchase of land or rights over land and we have instructed our solicitors, Geldards, to complete the legal transaction.  For a copy of the latest report please view the infographic below. 

January 2024

You can download the full Monthly New Connections Legal Process Summary here. 

Getting Information About the Status of the Legal Process

In response to requests from our customers for improved transparency in the new connections legal process we offer access to information about the status of individual transactions.  This facility provides our customers with case-level status information about the negotiation and lawyering stages of their connection to enable tracking of the legal process through to completion.   

Click here for more information about getting access to these systems.

Specimen Legal Documents

Specimen samples of our land rights documents are available to download.  These documents are provided to enable ICPs and landowners to see the typical format and content of the land rights that we require before adopting any equipment.

These specimen documents are examples of the agreements that we use and the content may be subject to change.  

It should be borne in mind that ICPs need to ensure that separate agreements are in place in the ICP’s name to cover the equipment prior to adoption.

Please click here for access to our specimen documents library.
 

Choice of Legal Documents

Click here for guidance on whether a wayleave or an easement is appropriate. 
 

Who pays for what?

Click here for guidance on how costs are allocated in the legal process link to the attached document.